


Untangling the Lights (and everything else)

by Arvi



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Getting Together, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, One Shot, Other, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, well Christmas happens but it's not super relevant to anything else going on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-23
Updated: 2019-12-23
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:33:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21919141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arvi/pseuds/Arvi
Summary: It's the first Christmas after the Nopocalypse, and Aziraphale hasn't seen Crowley since their lunch at the Ritz. Why not, and might a certain witch help them untangle that mess? Read to find out!
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 37





	Untangling the Lights (and everything else)

**Author's Note:**

> A short Christmas one shot and my first foray into writing Good Omens. English isn't my first language and all my possible betas were in Christmas stress themselves, so please do point out any typos I might have missed.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

**Untangling the Lights (and everything else)**

Aziraphale sighed. What in the world had Crowley been thinking when he had invented those terrible things? And what had he been thinking? Volunteering to help Anathema and Newt decorate their cottage for Christmas.

He sighed again. Christmas lights tangling was truly an evil idea. All that frustration around the holiday of love, of hope, of joy.

Oh yes, he remembered what he'd been thinking. He'd been thinking that Crowley had up and left after their lunch at the Ritz in the aftermath of the Nopocalypse – that after eleven years of near constant company his introverted lifestyle suddenly felt so very lonely, and while Anathema and Newt weren't Crowley, at least they were company.

Aziraphale still didn't know what had made Crowley leave with only a cryptic sentence about some time away. For what, he hadn't said.

Aziraphale sighed. He probably shouldn't have brought up Crowley's best friend dying.

He'd just meant to help, to comfort. Of course, it had hurt, Crowley having a best friend who wasn't him, but he really should have known, now. After all they'd only met every few decades, even the occasional century passing without seeing each other. All on Aziraphale's insistence, too. Just because a small, minuscule part of him had hoped, had been so sure, that now, with the Apocalypse over and done with for the foreseeable future, maybe they'd get to explore all that Aziraphale had left unsaid.

But Crowley was gone. Mourning his lost best friend, the one with whom he'd surely spent all those years Aziraphale had avoided him.

Aziraphale heaved yet another sigh. The plants on the windowsill began drooping in commiseration. 

That was when Anathema had had enough and told him to talk to his missing companion. The angel's misery had been radiating through her cottage all day. It was making everyone else miserable, and most of all, she wanted to help him.

* * *

Crowley was miserable. It was Christmas, and while he tended to ignore all the festivities or just use the highly stressful time to make everyone else grumpy and mean, this year his heart just wouldn't have been in it. He missed his angel, but Aziraphale had made it clear that he needed some time for himself. Crowley would've liked to comfort him, but the angel had just lost all of Heaven, any illusion of them being his friends. And losing his best friend hurt.

On the radio Freddy crooned „Love of my life, you've hurt me. You've stolen my heart, and now you leave me...“

Crowley pulled his pillow over his head. He didn't remember switching the radio on.

Why had Aziraphale wanted time away from him? Probably to avoid being reminded of what he might yet become. 

That day at the Ritz, Crowley still remembered.

After they had toasted „To the world“, Aziraphale had ordered another slice of cake.

Then he had spoken: „Crowley, I just want you to know. Losing a friend can be very hard. One might need some time to recover from such a thing, I know that.“

Crowley had agreed. He still remembered the first months and years after the fall, still reeled from being unceremoniously kicked out, just because he'd had some questions.

After Aziraphale had eaten his cake they'd separated, Crowley still rather exhausted from the miracles he'd pulled. He wouldn't have admitted it, but he needed rest. Aziraphale had invited him to drop by whenever, but how could Crowley impose himself when his angel wanted distance, wanted time? He'd always respected all of Aziraphale's wishes.

Crowley peeked out from underneath his pillow. On the radio Freddie still sang: „Let us cling together as the years go by, oh, my love, my love. In the quiet of the night, let our candle always burn, let us never lose the lessons we have learned“

He'd love to cling to Aziraphale, but wasn't that what he'd always done? Go to fast.

He'd continue wallowing, maybe take a nap for another few years. Crowley sank back down into his sheets, but then the doorbell rang. Insistently. Like someone who was not going to be ignored.

Grudgingly he got up, snapped his fingers so he was dressed, walked past the remains of Ligur he'd been scrupulously ignoring those past months (he'd meant to ask Aziraphale for help cleaning it up, as he wasn't actually keen on testing his immunity to holy water, but hadn't gotten around to it for obvious reasons) and opened the door, just as the doorbell rang again.

A very disheveled angel stood in front of the door.

„Crowley, my dear! Now, I know you probably want more time to come to terms with losing your friend, but really, it's been months, and it's also Christmas, and Anathema, remember Anathema, you ran her over with your automobile, she pointed out that just because I'm giving you space doesn't mean I can't see you at all! You can go back to being on your own after Christmas. I'll wait for you, I mean you've waited for me for so long, surely it's only fair I wait as long as you need me to, if you want me to.“

Crowley parsed through what his angel had been rambling, and caught on one thing.

„Losing my friend?“

He pulled Aziraphale inside and sat him on the couch in the living room, the one that used to be minimalist but had found itself turning rather more comfortable when a certain angel had spent the night after a long bus ride. It had remained thusly, even though it hadn't be used since. It rather liked its new look, it felt a lot more loved. 

Aziraphale looked rather sad.

„Yes, your friend! You know, the one you were mourning in the pub, when I was discorporated. You told me you'd lost your best friend.“

What? Seriously, what? 

„But that was you! You're my best friend, surely you must know!“

„I'm your best friend? But I'm fine! Why haven't you been coming around?“

„I thought you wanted time! You know, after well, losing your friends from up there!“

Aziraphale stared at him.

„You thought I wanted time to cope with choosing our side?“

„Yesss! What else was I supposed to think! I didn't want to go too fast!“

„But I finally caught up! We're on our own side now, I want to spend time together. I missed you, not seeing you since the Nopocalypse.“

Crowley was flabbergasted. Aziraphale had missed him? Had caught up?

„So, my dear, do you want to spend Christmas together? You could give the Them all kinds of presents that will annoy their parents.“

Crowley loved Aziraphale, loved how he had never tried to force him to become anyone he wasn't. Of course, the two of them would probably wind up babysitting the children and be annoyed themselves, but it was worth it. It always would be, spending time with his angel.

„That sounds wonderful, angel. I'd love to come.“

And as the two of them headed to the Bentley an angel took a demon's hand into his own. Both of them smiled and enjoyed the new experience.

That Christmas was particularly joyful, and a proper White Christmas throughout England. Whether that was due to the happiness of an occult and an ethereal being, or because of another's relief at finally seeing two of her children side by side and confident, no one will ever know.


End file.
